Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a switch device comprising in a case at least one pole consisting of at least one fixed contact cooperating with a mobile contact adapted to be moved in a switching chamber relative to said fixed contact by at least one tripping mechanism.
In some existing switch devices some components are grouped together in subsystems accommodated in the basic case.
For example in the patents EP - 79818 and EP - 79819 fixed contacts and a mobile contact-holder bridge are mounted in an insulating cartridge accommodated in a housing in the device. The cartridge is made in two parts joined together and forming a chamber in which the components are housed. The cartridge is inserted into the case through an opening on a bottom or base side.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new switching chamber arrangement associated with a pair of contacts in order to achieve advantages from the point of view of electrical operation and from the point of view of industrial manufacture and assembly of the components.
This arrangement is achieved in a simple way by a unitary construction case with no independent base and by an insulating part supporting a conductor connecting a fixed contact to a connecting terminal and possibly other electrical components.
From the point of view of electrical operation the invention makes it possible to achieve good insulation between phases (leakage paths, switching gases, etc). It makes it possible to use arc extinguishing means (magnetic U, coils, etc) insulated in a simple manner from the other components of the phase concerned and from the other phases. It makes it possible to use a different insulating material for the switching chamber and for the case. It makes it possible for the switching chamber associated with one pole to be easily insulated from the switching chamber associated with another pole.
With regard to industrial manufacture and assembly of the components, the invention makes it possible to reduce the number of parts, especially when arc extinguishing means are used. It makes it possible to assemble the component parts of the switching chamber more easily. It makes it possible to assemble magnetothermal tripping components easily. It also makes it possible to mount a removable assembly carrying the mobile bridges easily. It makes it possible to manufacture a unitary construction case with no independent base which provides good electrical insulation and good mechanical strength.